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DETROIT, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM), which is traded as AXL on the NYSE, today announced that it has entered into an agreement, through one of its subsidiaries, to form a joint venture with Hefei Automobile Axle Co, Ltd., (HAAC), a subsidiary of the JAC Group (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co, Ltd). The new company, Hefei AAM Automotive Driveline & Chassis System Co., Ltd., will manufacture and sell rear beam axles, front axles, power transfer units (PTU), Rear Drive Modules (RDM) and suspension modules for passenger cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) for the China market.

Each party will own 50 percent of the joint venture. Subject to regulatory approval in China, the joint venture is expected to commence operations in the first quarter of 2009.

The Hefei AAM manufacturing facility, situated approximately 400 kilometers west of Shanghai, is located in the state level economic development zone of Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, China.

"The Hefei AAM joint venture is AAM's second manufacturing operation in the fast-growing China market. The new products to be manufactured in this facility, as well as the new customers to be served by this joint venture, support our long-term strategic goals of expanding and diversifying AAM's product portfolio, customer base and global manufacturing and sourcing footprint," said AAM Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO Richard E. Dauch. "AAM is pleased to partner with the JAC Group in this important business venture and we look forward to many years of successful cooperation."

The new joint venture will provide systems and components for JAC Automotive, a premier Chinese automotive OEM. The main products of JAC Automotive include a recently launched new generation of passenger cars, SUVs, MPVs and commercial vehicles.

AAM is a world leader in the manufacture, engineering, design and validation of driveline and drivetrain systems and related components and modules, chassis systems and metal-formed products for trucks, sport utility vehicles, passenger cars and crossover utility vehicles. In addition to locations in the United States (Michigan, New York, Ohio and Indiana), AAM also has offices or facilities in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Certain statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts contain forward-looking information with respect to the Company's plans, projections or future performance, the occurrence of which involves risk and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results or plans to differ materially from those expected by the company which include risk factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    For more information...
    Renee B. Rogers                          Jamie M. Little
    Manager, Corporate Communications        Director, Investor Relations
    & Media Relations                        (313) 758-4831
    (313) 758-4882                           jamie.little@aam.com
    renee.rogers@aam.com

    Or visit the AAM website at www.aam.com